NCJ Number
191946
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 16 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 507-516
Date Published
October 2001
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article examines the impact of husband physical aggression and alcohol use on feelings of martial satisfaction.
Abstract
Alcohol has been posited to serve as an "excuse" for deviant behavior, including domestic violence. A recent study suggested that wives hold husbands less responsible for their aggressive behavior when husbands are problem drinkers. This study examines the independent and interactive effects of husband physical aggression and husband alcohol use on wives' marital satisfaction and thoughts of divorce among newlywed couples (n = 387). Husband physical aggression had a significant negative effect on marital satisfaction and a significant positive effect on divorce ideation regardless of the instrument used to measure husband alcohol use. In no case was there an interaction between alcohol and aggression. The study does not support an excuse function of alcohol and suggests that it also does not mitigate the negative effects of domestic violence on marital functioning. The study concludes that as incidents of aggression become more frequent, they have a negative effect on marital satisfaction and divorce ideation, regardless of level of husband's alcohol consumption, frequency of binge drinking, or alcohol dependence. Tables, references